Civil Liberties: Big Brother in New Jersey

Startled by the Newark riots in 1967, New Jersey officials took steps to
be prepared for any future disturbances. At the suggestion of then-Attorney
General Arthur Sills, police began compiling detailed dossiers on people
taking part in demonstrations, even when the demonstrators violated no laws.
The surveillance was promptly challenged by the state chapter of the
American Civil Liberties Union. Arguing that police
intelligence-gathering activities would "intimidate and harass"
demonstrators, the A.C.L.U. asked a superior court judge to order the
investigations stopped, the dossiers destroyed.